1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle passenger restraining system for an automobile utilizing a collision impact location determining system.
2. Background Information
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-200962 discloses one example of a conventional vehicle passenger restraining system that is configured to restrain a passenger when a vehicle collision impact location determining system that is provided with the vehicle passenger restraining system determines that the vehicle will roll over (roll sideways). Such conventional vehicle passenger restraining system is configured to determine that the vehicle will roll over when the state of the vehicle expressed in terms of a roll angle and a roll rate of the vehicle enters a rollover region defined by a threshold line that stipulates a relationship between the roll angle and the roll rate or when the vehicle state enters a rollover region defined by a threshold line that stipulates a relationship between the lateral (transverse) acceleration and the roll rate.
Such conventional vehicle passenger restraining system is configured to initially operate only a specific passenger restraining device (or passenger restraining devices) installed on the side of the vehicle toward which the vehicle rolls over (hereinafter called “rollover side”). Then, afterwards, the vehicle passenger restraining system is configured to operate other passenger restraining devices (not on the rollover side of the vehicle) if the vehicle passenger restraining system determines that the vehicle will roll further (beyond the rollover side). In this way, the conventional vehicle passenger restraining system is configured to operate the passenger restraining devices in an appropriate manner when the vehicle undergoes a rollover event.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved vehicle passenger restraining system. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.